"No Cell Phones 'Till You're 14!" - Bill Gates
What is the earliest age that a child should have a cell phone? Parents wonder what the right answer to this question is - at what age did YOU get your first cell phone?
Well, Bill Gates chimed in on the subject during a recent interview - he says that his children didn't get one until they were 14. Click HERE for an article on the subject.
Take a look at the "...list of questions parents should answer before giving their child their first phone" at the bottom of the article. As you look through the questions, answer these questions:
What IS the earliest age that you think a child should have a cell phone?
What are the risks?
What types of things would you want to talk to a child about, before they are given the responsibility of having a cell phone?
The earliest age I would give my child a cell phone would be 12. Giving your child a phone any younger then 12 in my opinion is not necessary, children who have phones just distract them and keep them from playing with friends and doing stuff in real life. Teens in my opinion should get phones because they are more likely to need to communicate with parents, friends, and even teachers. Giving your children a cell phone can be risky because it can effect their bed time and it can keep them from doing more productive things such as reading. Before I give my child a phone I would tell them no cell phones before bed, to text responsibly, and teach them not to be a bully and to stay away from social media that could be dangerous.
ReplyDeleteRight! I feel like parents these days should talk to their children about having a cell phone before they get one. To talk about being safe and appropriate. It's a great way to be able to communicate and see whats going on in the world, but it's also a big responsibility.
DeleteI agree, I think phones kind of distract them from the world and their parents should give them a real talk on safety and things like that and appropriate things to do and most of them that don't just become phone addicts and it just disconnects them from the real world.
DeleteI agree, parents should have a serious talk with their child before just giving them a phone.
DeleteI agree, a phone is a privilege not a right and parents should definitely talk to their kids before giving them a phone.
DeleteI agree, parents should talk to their kids before letting them have a device that not only costs 100s of dollars but is kind of dangerous with all the social media.
DeleteThe youngest a child should have a phone is like 12, no earlier.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I don't see a reason for a child to need a phone before the age of 12.
DeleteI agree, kids should not get a cellphone until they are older not when they are like 8.
Deletei agree, there are things on the web that kids under 12 shouldn't see
DeleteKids at age 6 are begging for phones when most don't even know how to read yet.
DeleteI agree, the child should at least be in the teen stage before they get a cell phone.
DeleteI agree, an 8 year old should not have an iPhone X or whatever
DeleteI agree that the earliest a child should get a phone is 14. Personally I didn't need a cellphone until I was 14, and I think children are perfectly fine without a cell phone until then.
ReplyDeleteI agree, children do not need a cell phone until they are really out in the world and then it is a convenience to have to contact anyone if you need to, plus i just see really young kids staring at phones and they don't really know what it's like to be a kid and climb trees and stuff.
DeleteI agree, children shouldn't get a cellphone until they are older because they don't really need it when they are younger than 14.
DeleteI feel that whatever age a parent let's their child go out is the age they should get a phone.
DeleteI feel like most kids have ipods or tablets and you can contact people most of the time on them. So getting a phone when you're young doesn't make sense.
DeleteYeah, it's pointless to me to give a 11 or 12 year old a $700-$800 phone.
DeleteI feel that whenever parents feel that they need to have one then should get one then.
DeleteI agree that 14 is a good age, you don't really "need" a cell phone, but just a device to communicate if plans change. I don't believe kids even need a cell phone, they should be outside climbing trees and playing ping pong in their friends basement anyways.
ReplyDeleteI agree 14 is a good age to get a cell phone becuause kids need to experience life outside phones.
DeleteSaturdays are for the ping pong, I agree Cal, nobody needs a phone, especially before the age of 14.
DeleteSometimes your gonna need a phone to contact your family if your doing things on weekends.
DeleteI feel that as soon as a parent starts letting their child go hang out with friends regularly is when they should get a cell phone. It could help their child contact them incase of an emergency and it's an easy way to keep in touch. But before they give them a phone they should have a serious talk with them.
ReplyDeletei agree, parents need to stay in touch with their kids
DeleteI agree, kids need to stay in touch with their parents when they go and hangout with friends
DeleteI agree that if your going and hanging out with friends in a young age you need a way to communicate with parents.
DeleteIf you aren't old enough to have a phone then you shouldn't be out anyways.
DeleteI believe that kids at 14 should already have a phone, but i also think that kids under 12 shouldn't have a phone. Because at 12 your out hanging with friends and parents need a way to contact their kids. but their are also thing that kids under 12 shouldn't see on the web. i think they kid should get a older phone where you can't go online with to see if they can handle having the responsability of having a phone
ReplyDeleteI agree 14 is too old for most kids to not have a phone.
DeleteI think the earliest kids should get a phone is 12, because that's around the time they are away from their parents more and they need to contact them. Getting a phone requires responsibility and things aren't always what they seem to be. Any kid who ends up with a phone needs to be careful. Kids under the age of 12 should be playing outside or doing something productive not play on devices.
ReplyDelete12 is a good number, though I think sometimes maybe they should be older.
Delete12 is fair esspically now days, with the way the world the way is going now.
DeleteI think a child shouldn't get a cell phone until they are responsible enough to handle having a cell phone. Every kid wants them these days because now you really can't live without them. They are cool devices to have but they do come with risks. The kids could be sending texts and pictures they shouldn't be. They could be following and talking to people they don't know on social media apps. People they don't know could be trying to contact them or hacking their phones to get their information. That's why you should talk to your child about the privilege and safety of having a cell phone. I think you should set boundaries for your child like setting a certain time for them to put away. Maybe getting the username and passwords of their social media accounts or even the password for their phone. I think you should tell them what apps they can even have and you should know who they follow and talk to. I also think that once in a while you should even check your child's phone to see what they are up to. The main point of this is make a wise choice about or not your kids should have phones or not.
ReplyDeletePaige, you right kids aren't smart enough to handle the complexities of the internet and a phone. I can barely handle it.
DeleteSome kids aren't responsible enough to own a phone.
DeleteI agree, kids are stupid.
DeleteHaving a cell phone is a privilege and I didn't have a phone until I was 14, not having a phone until you're 14 is a smart move and good parenting in my eyes. No 12 year old should have a $700 or $800 phone.
ReplyDeleteI agree no kid should start out with a $700-$800 phone there is no reason to have an expensive phone like that.
DeleteIf kid has a $1000 phone at age 8-12 they are spoiled, unless they have a job to pay the monthly payments which i highly doubt they do cause kids now days get everything handed to them. There is no reason to have a phone at such a young age.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the age you get a phone is different for everyone. If your hanging out with friends i feel having a phone to contact you parents to let them know what your doing or if you need to be picked up.
ReplyDeleteI think kids under the age of 12 shouldn't have phones. They need phones to communicate with their parents and friends. Also having your first phone can be exciting, but I don't think it should be too expensive.
ReplyDeleteI agree, children shouldn't have phones under the age of 12.
DeleteThe age for a child to get a phone depends on the parents. I didn't get one till 12 and when I did, it was a tracfone. I see 8 year olds walking around school with the newest iPhone and hear them talking about Facebook and Instagram and Snapchat. Kids now a days are growing up in a world that has child predators and hackers. It's unsafe for a child who isn't even in their teens to have a phone.
ReplyDeleteI do not think children should have phones when they are young because there are many things that could go wrong. Children are very stupid when it comes to reality from people pretending to be kids. It's just dangerous.
ReplyDeleteBut, there are some kids that know what there doing and know there limits.
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